UK Visit Visa system to be simplified

The UK Home Office is planning to simplify the current visa system from April 2015

The UK Home Office has announced that it is planning to simplify the current visit visa system. The changes will be introduced in April 2015, with the aim to make it easier for business people and performing artists to enter the UK. The planned changes come reportedly in the light of continuous complaints from British business leaders that the current visit visa process is too cumbersome and a hindrance to economic growth. There were reportedly also complaints from leaders in London’s arts about the difficulty to bring talented performers to the UK.

The new visit visa system will try to simplify the current visit visa regime, by reducing the current 15 types of UK visitor visa categories to only four.

The four new categories will consist of the following;

A standard visa available to tourists;

A visit visa for persons who will be undertaking paid engagements such as theatre appearances, concerts and performance arts;

A visit visa for those entering the UK for marriage and civil partnerships; and

A category covering transits through the UK.

The changes will apparently further simplify the current system, by allowing individuals to use the same visit visa for a greater range of activities, such as holidaying and attending business meetings. With the current system, one would need two different types of visit visas for holidaying and attending business meetings.

In the meantime, it is very important for South Africans to keep in mind that the current visit visa regime is still in place, and that there are very strict rules about conducting business whilst on a visitor visa. Persons visiting the UK, who plan to conduct business, are advised to contact BIC for more information.

BIC will update its clients as soon as finer details on the new visit visa system are announced.

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